Risk and Violence Reduction Programme

CACT’s risk and violence reduction work has grown out of traditional social inclusion activities, alongside the development of specific prison-based programmes and work with statutory services.

The aim is to engage young people who are either at risk of becoming involved or are already involved in the criminal justice system. Staff report to the Street Violence Ruins Lives (SVRL) Committee, established in 2008 following the tragic murder of 17-year old Rob Knox.

Rob’s parents, Colin and Sally, are members of the SVRL Committee, with Sally being employed as a CACT life coach. Her life testimony actively supports work in schools and in targeted areas of high youth crime.

What we do:

• Diversionary work – delivered in estate-based settings and crime hotspots.
• Outreach work – mobile units deployed to various areas where serious crime has taken place.
• Enrichment programmes – providing young people with positive activities as an alternative to engaging in negative behaviours.
• Residential trips – for selected young people from crime reduction programmes.
• School-based support – for young people who have become disengaged with education settings.
• Group workshops – delivered around specific themes such as county lines and exploitation and trauma training.
• Targeted support – Interventions for young people referred by partner agencies such as social services.
• One to one mentoring – for young people who are at an advanced stage of negative behaviours such as gang affiliated or known weapon carrying.

CACT has recently worked with local charity YourStance to educate both staff members and young people on how to handle cases of serious youth violence, should they need to. Watch the video below to find out more about our work with YourStance.